The Dojo
by Hello-Star-Tea
Summary: With his darling Lee out on a mission, Gai turns to his more reserved student to aid him in a most important project.


This would do it alright. This would finally show Kakashi what happens when a person is too 'hip' and 'cool' for their own good. It was foolproof. It was flawless! For Gai had been thinking about it all morning and there was now no better time to put it all into place. For today, he was finally going to teach his too-cool rival a lesson and it would be so amazing that he would never, ever forget it.

"Sensei, would you mind going over your plan once more? I'm afraid I didn't catch it all the last time."

Gai chuckled smugly, patting his precious Neji on the shoulder. "Not at all, my most helpful student. I am going to build a dojo right on the edge of town- a dojo so fabulous and awe-inspiring that every shinobi from miles around will want to come and challenge it. I am going to build it and I am going to run it and I am going to take every challenger that comes to my door! Except one!"

Neji cocked an eyebrow at him. "Except one?"

"Yes!" Gai's smug smile widened and he gestured to the pile of lumber and equipment he was dragging behind them. "I am going to build the most exquisite dojo in the world and I am going to accept and defeat all challengers! Except one."

Neji sighed. "And who is this 'one', sensei?"

Gai stopped and grabbed Neji around the shoulders, pulling him in closer for the big top secret, and whispered: "Kakashi."

"Is that so?"

"It is most certainly so! Imagine with me, my dearest pupil! He will hear of the wonder, of the prestige, of the awe-inspiring dojo where all the strongest shinobi go to test their skills, yet none prevail! He will be unable to resist the temptation! He will arrive to challenge the owner of this magnificent dojo, only to find that it is run by none other than his eternal rival! He will proclaim 'Gai, my rival, I wish to challenge you!' and I will say 'No! I am busy!' Just like he said to me today."

Neji was quiet for a moment, then gave his sensei a tired look. "So… you are building a dojo because Kakashi didn't want to play with you?"

"No! I am building a dojo so I can have all the rivals I want! Then we'll see who doesn't have time for who!"

"So you're basically building this out of spite."

"Not at all!"

Neji sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. "Sensei, aren't you a little old to be building a fort?"

"It's not a fort! It's a dojo!"

"A dojo you're building specifically so you can not invite Kakashi to it. That seems pretty childish to me."

Gai sputtered. "B-! D-! You are one to talk! You have a tree house!"

"So? I'm twelve. If I want to have a tree house and pelt my various acquaintances with acorns from it, that's my right. It's a normal part of my development. You, on the other hand, are a grown man building a fort so you can tell Kakashi he can't go into it."

"It is completely different!"

Neji scowled. "More over, I claim false premises. When I asked what our plans were today, you failed to mention this. I would have been much firmer with my refusal to come if I had known you were just going to use me as free labor- child labor, if I may be specific."

This was one of those times when Gai wished his youthful little Lee was not out on a mission. He was always a lot more supportive and invested in Gai's projects than Neji was. Gai shoved Neji forward. "You signed off on child labor when you became a shinobi. Besides, this will be fun! You like building things, right? We will even turn it into training! It'll be a blast."

"This isn't training. I want to go home."

"It's too late! You've already signed up!"

"I didn't sign up for anything. Where is Tenten? Why didn't you drag her into this?"

"Stop complaining. We're going to have a lot of fun today."

"That's what you said about the roller skates and that wasn't fun at all."

"It would have been if you had applied yourself."

"I was applied to a wall. That was enough application for me."

"You must get over yourself, my precious little introvert. You and I don't spend enough quality bonding time together anyway. This is your budding youth and we must embrace our time together when-!"

"I miss Lee, sensei."

"As do I, but as he has his own life, so must we have ours! And today, our lives are intertwined in the construction of a wondrous dojo!"

"Please don't say it like that."


End file.
